Abstract
Some plants used in Unani system of medicine are toxic, even deadly poisonous. The drugs having such plants as their components are detoxified before they are dispensed to the patients. One such drug, capsule Hudar, has Strychnos nux-vomica L. (Azraqi) seeds as one of its components and is very effectively used to elevate blood pressure. Ancient manuscripts describe many methods of its detoxification. It has been found that the detoxification processes studied reduce the strychnine content, as determined either by using uv-vis spectrophotometer or HPLC, present in Strychnos nux vomica seeds which is responsible for Strychnos nux vomica toxicity. The decrease in strychnine amount was best when the seeds were immersed for detoxification in excess of water for 5 days, in milk for 2 days followed by their boiling in milk. Strychnine in small amounts has been reported to give subjective feeling of stimulation.
Highlights
An estimated 7,500 species of plants are used in the traditional medicines of India
Some drugs of the plant, animal and mineral origin used in Unani system of medicine have components that are naturally toxic in their properties
Different detoxification methods have been used to reduce the toxicity of Azraqi seeds
Summary
An estimated 7,500 species of plants are used in the traditional medicines of India. The vast majority of these plants are lesser known local remedies, many of these are poisonous in their natural states. In Unani system of medicine, the Strychnos nuxvomica seeds (Azraqi) in combination with dried ginger powder have been used very effectively to elevate blood pressure but after their detoxification in the form of capsule Hudar. Different detoxification methods have been used to reduce the toxicity of Azraqi seeds. Since the main constituents of Azraqi seeds responsible for the toxicity are alkaloid more especially strychnine, the effect of detoxification processes as mentioned in classical Unani texts on the contents of total alkaloids in general and strychnine in particular has been studied.
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